Microsoft has been hitting the streets hard over the past year with their new Windows Phone platform. Growth has been less than impressive, mainly due to the adoption of iOS and Android. No worries from Microsoft though as they are raking in the dough from the success of Google’s Android OS. According to Citi analyst Walter Pritchard the reason is because HTC settled a patent infringement case and agreed to pay Microsoft $5 per Android handset they sell. It’s estimated that HTC has sold 30 million Android devices (and growing) which totals a whopping $150 million.
Pritchard also notes that Microsoft has sold 2 million Windows Phone licenses with an estimated license fee of $15 each comes out to a revenue of $30 million… which means that Microsoft has made five times more income from Android than from their own Windows Phone.
